EDITORIAL. 
571 
hooves us to calmly scrutinize our three years’ experiences and 
three failures, and out of it all evolve a successful scientific and 
practical clinic. While we are extending the opportunity to 
others to offer suggestions, we submit our own judgment that 
one of the chief factors in producing a chaotic confusion in the 
programme is the effort on the part of the Committee of Ar¬ 
rangements to avoid a conflict with the regular programme. 
The clinic is broken up into little niches of time when nothing 
else is announced—an hour or two in the morning, before the 
hour of assembling of the convention; a little more in the after¬ 
noon, and possibly a single operation in the evening. When 
the members have assembled at the designated field, Dr. So and 
So has not arrived, or the operator is present but the patient is 
absent, and when it is assured that the promised demonstration 
must be postponed, a substitute operation is improvised, which 
possibly encroaches upon the convention hour, and many are 
forced to hurry away with a feeling that valuable time has been 
consumed to little purpose. We throw out the suggestion that 
this piece-meal policy for holding surgical clinics be abandoned, 
and in its stead an entire afternoon be devoted to this important 
section, and that on that occasion the facilities for demonstra¬ 
tions be greatly increased, seats being provided in amphitheatre 
style, so that all may see and do so in comfort and without the 
necessity of crowding and climbing. A surgeon who volun¬ 
teers to be present and to operate, should be made to under¬ 
stand that it is an obligation which cannot be neglected except 
for good cause. When the full afternoon’s work has been com¬ 
pleted the section is through with for the meeting, and mem¬ 
bers may occupy their seats in the convention hall without 
wondering if there is anything of more value to them transpir¬ 
ing at the clinic. 
As we have already said, this subject is opened here for dis¬ 
cussion. We have no intention of protruding our views upon 
the membership further than to express an opinion, and those 
of others will be welcomed to our pages in the hope that there 
may come to the Arrangements Committee a suggestion which 
